US Announces 23 Countries Whose Citizens Are Allowed Faster Immigration Clearance at Airports

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  • The US Customs and Border Protection has published a list of countries that have entered into arrangements with the US to qualify for Global Entry fast-track clearance
  • Global Entry allows eligible travellers to skip standard immigration queues when arriving in the United States, making entry significantly faster
  • Africa does not feature on the list of 23 partner countries, meaning most African travellers must still go through standard US immigration channels

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a list of 23 countries whose nationals are eligible to benefit from Global Entry, the trusted traveller programme that allows pre-approved individuals to clear US immigration faster upon arrival.

According to the CBP, the agency has entered into bilateral arrangements with partner countries to facilitate smoother travel into the United States. Nationals from qualifying countries can apply for Global Entry, which bypasses the standard immigration queue at US airports in favour of automated kiosks.

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The US mentions names of countries in the Global entry fast-track immigration clearance. Photo credit: Getty ImagesSource: UGC

Countries eligible for US Global Entry

The full list of countries currently covered under these arrangements is:

1. Argentina

2. Australia

3. Bahrain

4. Brazil

5. Canada (via NEXUS)

6. Colombia

7. Costa Rica

8. Croatia

9. Dominican Republic

10. El Salvador

11. Germany

12. India

13. Japan

14. Jordan

15. Republic of Korea

16. Mexico

17. Netherlands

18. Panama

19. Singapore

20. Switzerland

21. Taiwan

22. United Arab Emirates

23. United Kingdom

What the list means for African travellers

Notably absent from the list is any African nation, meaning citizens of countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt are not covered under any existing Global Entry arrangement. Travellers from these countries must continue to go through standard US Customs and Border Protection immigration processing on arrival.

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The programme is particularly valuable for frequent travellers, as it significantly reduces waiting times at major US airports. Approved members use automated kiosks to submit their customs declaration and receive clearance, rather than waiting in general immigration lines, which can stretch for hours at busy entry points.

Canada's inclusion is facilitated through the NEXUS programme, a separate trusted traveller scheme designed specifically for travel between the United States and Canada.

See the full CBP Global Entry International Arrangements page.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that the US announced one country whose citizens can visit the country for 180 days.

Citizens allowed to work in Australia

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia published its First Work and Holiday visa, including the 30 countries whose citizens can apply and the age limit for eligible applicants. The visa allows people aged 18 to 30 to work in Australia while funding an extended holiday.

For citizens of China, India and Vietnam, getting the visa begins with a ballot and random selection before a full application can be made. No African country made the list, leaving Nigerians and citizens of other African nations unable to apply for this visa category.